In the application U.S. Ser. No. 356,656, filed Jul. 19, 1999, there is described a sheet post processing device to sort continuously transported sheets into several fixed trays. That device has features including a top infeed to an inverter, a transport path that transports sheets continuously from the inverter, several gates from which a sheet can be taken out along the path, several outlets that can eject sheets from each corresponding fixed location of receiving trays, and a sheet sending device that selectively moves between the several transport gates and the several outlets and sends the sheets transported from the transport gates to the outlets.
The state of the art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,747, granted Dec. 2, 1997 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,609, granted Jan. 6, 1998, which show sheet inversion and a vertically movable sender.
The present invention provides an improvement in sheet post processing machines of the general type shown in the above mentioned application, wherein the sheets which are received on the sender are collected in sets and sent to the trays in edge aligned sets, which may be horizontally offset from one another, or sent to the trays in sets which may be offset horizontally or not.
This improvement relates to providing means for offsetting sheets and forming sets, either offset or not, and stapled or not. No means for offsetting being associated with a sender conveyor extended generally horizontally and located between the vertically spaced gates for sheets and the trays are also vertically spaced and opposite a gate for receiving the sheets or sets.
The above and other objects of the invention will be hereinafter described with greater particularity with reference to the drawings forming a part of this application.